circling overhead and Maui heard them say, "At last we can make our fire and have a good feast. Maui and his two brothers are out for a day's fishing."

Quivering with excitement, Maui crouched in his hiding-place and waited. Soon he heard the birds talking quite near him and, peeping out, saw them pushing fresh bananas into a blazing fire. Rushing into their midst he caught one of the birds.

"Tell me how you make fire or you shall never go free!" he demanded.

At first the bird was sullen and refused to answer, but at Maui's rough treatment resorted to trickery and replied, "Rub two taro stalks together and you shall have fire."

Holding the bird closely, Maui did so, but only little drops of water came from the stalks. Very angry, Maui punished the bird again and demanded the truth. Helpless and exhausted, the poor alae told Maui to take two hau sticks and rub them together.

Maui found the hau sticks, but fearing the bird was not telling the truth, he rubbed its head with one of the sticks until a drop of blood trickled out, staining the tuft of feathers on its crest. But the bird persisted in this statement, so Maui began rubbing the sticks together. Little sparks appeared and caught fire to the dead leaves on which they fell.

Overjoyed at his discovery, Maui set the bird free. But to this day every alae bird wears the symbol of punishment for telling its secret—a tuft of red feathers on the top of its head.

MAUI'S KITE.

Maui, the great demi-god of Hawaii, was restless. Time hung heavy on his hands. Uneventful days of quiet had fallen upon the land. Adventure seemed to be in hiding, and no exploit invited to service this active youngster's shining spear or magic club. Idleness grew more and more unbearable.

Now Laamaomao, god of the winds, dwelt not far above Rainbow Falls in the beautiful gorge of the Wailuku and to him Maui confided his discontent. The old fellow admitted that times were dull. Not for a long time had he been called upon for blasts from his greater windpot, Ipunui. On the heels of this remark came inspiration, and he suggested that Maui fashion a large kite. He, Laamaomao, would see to it that a suitable wind be forthcoming and excitement sufficient to break the dull monotony of too peaceful days.

So Maui set about the construction of an enormous kite. His mother, the goddess Hina, made for him a beautiful and strong tapa, and twisted fibres of the olona into a stout cord. From the rich red wood of the koa expert and willing hands put together a graceful frame, and in due time the big plaything was ready. Laamaomao, having fathered the idea, manifested a keen interest in the proceedings and had his windpots in readiness for the initial flight.

Calling Ipuiki, smaller of his two windpots, into action, Laamaomao directed a steady, gentle breeze up the gorge against the breast of the great kite, cautioning those who held it to be in readiness to let go at the proper moment and reminding Maui to have a care lest the olona cord slip through his hands.

Gracefully the birdlike thing rose into the brilliant turquoise sky—that same sky which today so enchants the malihini—and as it tugged at the line, dipped, rose again and circled about, the thrill of it came down the cord to Maui's hands and his delight knew no bounds.

Often in the quiet days that followed did Maui amuse himself with the big kite. As he grew more familiar with its handling the impetuous demi-god would ask Laamaomao for winds from Ipunui and glory in the tussle his kite gave him when buffeted by these stronger blasts—even though wise old Laamaomao was careful to moderate their power.

Sometimes Maui would tire of his sport and, drawing its cord through a round hole in a rock which lay in the center of a small lake near the wind caves, would leave his kite to its own devices while he slept.

Drawn by Will Herwig. Paradise Eng.

Old Laamaomao, the Wind God, Admitted That Times Were Dull.

On one such occasion Laamaomao, having received an order for a great storm, forgot all about Maui's kite and turned loose his most powerful wind from Ipunui. All night long it howled through the creaking trees, driving the rain before it in lashing sheets. Stout as it was, the olona cord with which Maui's big kite was moored could not long withstand the strain and finally parted, leaving the kite to the mercy of the winds. Tossed madly about in the storm, it was carried far across the flank of Mauna Loa and dropped into the sea off the shore of Kau.

Now Puuanuhe, the much-dreaded lizard-woman, made her home on the shores of the Kau desert, and to her ears had come the wonderful story of Maui's kite, fanning an already hot jealousy of the young demi-god and his doings. Puuanuhe was the only creature of those days who had fiery red hair, and her temper was none the less caloric.

So when she saw this strange object floating in the water near her home on the morning after the storm she recognized it as Maui's kite. Chuckling in vicious satisfaction at this chance opportunity to make trouble for the handsome son of Hina, Puuanuhe hid the kite in the rough hills back of Hilea.

Great was Maui's surprise and consternation when he found his kite gone. He at once set out in search of it. Days passed without trace of it, but one day news came to him that Puuanuhe had been seen with a large kite. He knew it must be his, as there was none other so big.

Arriving at Hilea he discovered the hideous red-headed lizard-woman, who admitted she had found his kite, but refused to enlighten him as to its whereabouts. This same creature had lured many a poor fisherman to death on the rocky coast of Kau, and Maui thought it high time to put an end to such a pest, so he killed her.

Once more he took up his search for his beloved kite and soon found it cleverly hidden in the hills. Ironically he named the spot Puuanuhe, and returning home with his precious toy he fastened it securely to its moorings again.

Even today you can see the immense kite, now turned to stone, just as Maui hauled it in for the last time and left it. It is seventy-five feet long and about forty-five feet wide, narrowing to eighteen feet at one end. At the narrow end is a crystal-clear lake, very deep and smooth as glass. In its center is a large, round stone projecting above the surface with a two-inch aperture in the middle where Maui used to make his kite string fast.

Near this lake are the two windpots, Ipunui and Ipuiki, and a little way below are three very distinct foot-prints, each fifteen inches long, showing where Maui stood while flying his great kite.

MAUI'S FISH-HOOK.

Maui, the powerful young demi-god who dwelt with his mother, the goddess Hina, in the great cave behind Rainbow Falls, had succeeded in so many hazardous undertakings, and had the welfare of his people so much at heart, that he resolved upon what was to be his greatest deed of prowess and beneficence.

Now Maui had a magic fish-hook which he cleverly used while fishing with his brothers. Maui was very sly and quick, but he was never a good fisherman. He would sit in the canoe and drag his hook through the water, catching no fish himself but snagging those his brothers caught and laughing merrily at their bewildered expressions when they pulled in their lines and found nothing.

They distrusted Maui, for he would never let them see his hook, yet they knew it was shaped differently from theirs. It was more complicated and had a double barb, while the common fish-hook had but one. But his brothers could never catch him at his tricks.

At last